IN  HMEMCHN 

rfOHN  V.  a.  WEHVEfe 


IRLF 


IN  AMERICAN 

POEMS 


NEW  BORZOI  POETRY 
SPRING  IQ21 

UNACCUSTOMED  AS  I  AM 
By  Morrie  Ryskind 

MEDALLIONS  IN  CLAY 
By  Richard  Aldington 

THE  MYSTIC  WARRIOR 
By  James  Oppenheim 

RESURRECTING  LIFE 
By  Michael  Strange 


THE  SACRED  WOOD 

Essays  on  Poetry  and  Criticism 
By  T.  S.  Eliot 


In  American— Poems 

By  John  V.    A.   Weaver 


New  York   ~^^^^    Mcmxxi 

Alfred  •  A  •  Knopf 


COPYRIGHT,  1921,  BY 
ALFRED  A.  KNOPF,  INC. 

Published,  January,  1921 

Second  Printing,  February,  1921 

Third  Printing,  March,   1921 

Fourth    Printing,    May,    1921 

Fifth  Printing,  August.  1921 


FEINTED  IN   THB  UNITED   STATES    OT  AMEBIOA 


TO  CECIL 


Grateful  acknowledgment  is  made 
to  Poetry:  a  Magazine  of  Verse, 
Smart  Set,  and  Adventure  for  per 
mission  to  reprint  such  of  these 
poems  as  have  appeared  in  the 
pages  of  those  magazines. 


CONTENTS 


NOCTURNE,  n 

£LEGIE  AMERICAINE,  12 

DRUG  STORE,  15 
^  "  OL'  MAMMY  DON'T,"  18 

Au  REVOIR,  20 

PRAYER,  21 

FAIR  EXCHANGE,  23 

DENOUEMENT,  24 

"  IN  LOVE,"  27 
•^  CATS,  28 

FINIS,  36 

CONCERNING  PIKERS,  37 

CARPE  DIEM,  42 

MOONLIGHT,  44 
-""DRY!,  45 

PETS,  48 

"  DIED  OF  INFLUENZA,"  49 

RIOT,  51 

MAME,  53 
OCTOBER,  59 

•f^SNOOZER,    60 

HEADLINES,  67 
WHITE  COLLARS,  70 
"  CATFISH  "  GREEN,  76 
L'ENvoi,  79 


IN  AMERICAN 

POEMS 


"  Nothin'  or  everythin',  it's  got  to  be,"  Nocturne 

You  says,  and  hides  your  face  down  on  my  arm. 
"  If  it  meant  nothin',  'twouldn't  do  no  harm, 

Or  either  everythin' —  but  this  way  —  see?  .  .  ." 

I  feel  your  tremblin'  heart  against  my  coat, 
And  the  big  arc-light  moon  grins  down  so  cool, 
"  Go    on!"    I    think    it    says,    u  you    softie 
fool!"  .  .  . 

I  love  you  so  it  hurts  me  in  my  throat.  .  .  . 

"Don't  make  me  kiss  you;   sure,   I  know  you 

could," 
You're  pleadin',  "  And  we  gone  too  far  for 

play; 

I  care  a  lot  ...  but  yet  not  so's  to  say 
I    love    you    yet.  .  .  .  Aw,    help    me    to    be 
good!"  .  .  . 

Oh,  darlin',  darlin',  can't  you  let  it  be 
Nothin'  to  you,  and  everythin'  to  me? 

U 


filegie  I  wished  I'd  took  the  ring,  not  the  Victrola. 

Americaine  You  get  so  tired  of  records,  hearin'  an'  hearin'  'em, 
And  when  a  person  don't  have  much  to  spend 
They  feel  they  shouldn't  ought  to  be  so  wasteful. 
And  then  these  warm  nights  makes  it  slow  inside, 
And  sittin's  lovely  down  there  by  the  lake 
Where  him  and  me  would  always  use  ta  go. 

He  thought  the  Vic'd  make  it  easier 
Without  him;  and  it  did  at  first.     I'd  play 
Some  jazz-band  music  and  I'd  almost  feel 
His  arms  around  me,  dancin' ;  after  that 
I'd  turn  out  all  the  lights,  and  set  there  quiet 
Whiles  Alma  Gluck  was  singin',  "  Home,  Sweet 

Home," 
And  almost  know  his  hand  was  strokin'  my  hand. 

"  If  I  was  you,  I'd  take  the  Vic,"  he  says. 
"  It's  somethin'  you  can  use;  you  can't  a  ring. 
Wisht  I  had  ways  ta  make  a  record  for  you, 

12 


So's  I  could  be  right  with  you,  even  though  £legie 

Uncle  Sam  had  me.'1  .  .  .  Now  I'm  glad  he       Americainc 

didn't; 

It  would  be  lots  too  much  like  seein'  ghosts 
Now  that  I'm  sure  he  never  won't  come  back.  .  .  . 

Oh,  God !  I  don't  .see  how  I  ever  stand  it ! 
He  was  so  big  and  strong!     He  was  a  darb ! 
The  swellest  dresser,  with  them  nifty  shirts 
That  fold  down,  and  them  lovely  nobby  shoes, 
And  always  all  his  clothes  would  be  one  color, 
Like  green  socks  with  green  ties,  and  a  green 

hat, 

And  everything.  .  .  .  We  never  had  no  words 
Or  hardly  none.  .  .  . 

And  now  to  think  that  mouth 
I  useta  kiss  is  bitin'  into  dirt, 
And  through  them  curls  I  useta  smooth,  a  bullet 
Has  went.  .  .  . 

I  wisht  it  would  of  killed  me,  too.  .  .  . 

Oh,  well  .  .  .  about  the  Vic.  ...  I  guess  Til 

sell  it 

And  get  a  small  ring  anyways.      (I  won't 
Get  but  a  half  as  good  a  one  as  if 
He  spent  it  all  on  that  when  he  first  ast  me.) 
It  don't  seem  right  to  play  jazz  tunes  no  more 
With  him  gone.     And  it  ain't  a  likely  chanst 

13 


filegie  I'd  find  nobody  ever  else  again 

Americaine  Would  suit  me,  or  I'd  suit.     And  so  a  little 
Quarter  of  a  karat,  maybe,  but  a  real  one 
That  I  could  sparkle,  sometimes,  and  remember 
The  home  I  should  of  had.  .  .  . 

And  still,  you  know, 
The  Vic  was  his  idea,  and  so.  ... 

I  wonder. 


Pardon  me,  lady,  but  I  wanta  ast  you  Drug 

For  God's  sake,  stop  that  tappin'.     I'll  go  nuts,  Store 
Plain  bug-house  if  I  hear  that  "  Tap-tap-tap  " 
Much  longer !  .  .  . 

Now  I  went  and  used  such  langwidge 
I  got  to  tell  you  why.  .  .  .  Well,   in  the  first 

place 

My  business  is  all  shot.     Now  drugs  theirselves 
Don't  pay  much,  and  the  extry  stuff,  like  candy, 
Cigars  and  stationery  and  et  cetery 
Don't  make  their  keep.     And  that  damn  soda- 
fountain  

Excuse  me,  lady,  but  I  just  can't  help  it !  ... 

Some  day  I'm  gointa  catch  the  guy  I  bought  it 

off. 

I'm  losin'  money  every  day  it's  here. 
And  soda-jerkers  —  now  I  can't  get  none 
For  love  or  money,  so  myself  I  got  to 
Mess  with  them  malted  milks,  banana  splits 
And  slop  like  that.     And  just  as  doggone  sure 

15 


Drug  As  I  start  workin'  on  some  fine  prescription, 

Store  The  kind  I  love  to  mix,  got  to  be  careful, 

The  weights  is  hittin'  on  that  perfect  balance  — 
Why  then  some  fool  wants  a  marshmallow  sun 
dae, 

And,  "  Tap-tap-tap  "  he  starts  in  on  the  show 
case, 

And  taps  and  taps  'til  I  come  runnin'  out, 
Leavin'  the  drugs  half-done.  .  .  . 

And  that  ain't  all; 

Here's  the  big  trouble:     I  can't  talk  good  gram 
mar. 

People  don't  think  a  man  that  mixes  drugs 
Can  do  it  right,  and  talk  the  way  I  do. 
It  makes  me  sick.     Why  have  I  got  to  sound 
Like  a  school  teacher?     Why,  I  know  my  stuff. 
"  Registered  Pharmacist,"  see?     I  taught  myself 
Workin'  at  night  whiles  I  was  four  years  clerkin'. 
And  then  I  took  three  months  down  at  the  U, 
And  passed  a  fine  exam.     But  here's  the  thing: 
I  quit  the  public  school  in  seventh  grade, 
And  never  paid  no  attention  to  my  talk. 
So  it's  the  way  I  tell  you :  they're  suspicious 
Because  I  use  such  slang.     I  try  to  stop 
But  it's  too  late  now.     I  found  out  too  late.  .  .  . 

I  got  a  dream  of  what  I'll  do  some  day : 
I  want  to  quit  this  drug  stuff  altogether, 

16 


Have  a  nice  office,  with  a  big  oak  desk,  Drug 

And  sell  just  real  estate.     I'd  like  to  bet  Store 

I'd  make  a  clean-up  at  it.     It'd  be  swell, 
That  office.  .  .  . 

But  this  life  is  killin'  me, 
It's  the  fool  questions  they  keeps  askin'  me. 
You  see  that  clock  there?     Well,  just  on  a  guess 
Three  times  an  hour  some  silly  fish  comes  in  here 
And  calls  me  out,  and  asts  me,  "  Is  that  right? 
Is  your  clock  right?  " —  Honest  to  Heaven,  lady, 
One  day  I  got  so  sore  I  took  a  hammer 
And  smashed  the  face  in.     And  it  cost  twelve  dol 
lars 
To  fix  it.     But  I  had  peace  for  a  week.  .  .  . 

Oh,  gosh,  my  nerves!  .  .  .  But  that's  the  way 
it  is. 

I'm  sorry  I  spoke  so  rough  about  that  tappin', 
But  when  I  get  to  sellin'  real  estate 
They'll  be  no  place  where  folks  can  take  a  coin 
And  tap,  and  tap  'til  I  come  runnin'  out. 
That's  a  man's  business !  .  .  . 

If  I  ever  get  it.  ... 


"  Ol'  I  useta  think  the  reason  why  some  folks 

Mammy        Just  couldn't  seem  to  get  nowheres  was  Luck. 
Don't "         But  Luck  ain't  such  a  much,  I  come  to  think. 

It's  somethin'  queer  about  theirself  that  does  it. 

Now,  what  I  mean,  you  take  this  here  Miss  Ames. 
Ten  year  ago  she  run  the  Fish  Department, 
And  everybody  said  that  for  a  woman 
She  had  a  business  chanst  was  wonderful. 
But  all  she  does  now  is  to  set  out  there 
And  pass  on  letters,  and  that  sort  of  stuff, 
To  see  that  nothin'  ain't  again  the  rules. 

Oh,  yeh,  she  keeps  her  job.     They  got  to  have 

her. 

You  can  be  sure  that  what  she  says  is  truth. 
Even  Miss  Cole,  the  manager,  has  got 
To  ast  for  her  O.  K. —  But  just  the  same, 
Miss  Cole  she  gets  a  salary  that's  easy. 
Ten  times  what  this  Miss  Ames  drags  down  per 

week. 

18 


You  see,  Miss  Ames,  she  thinks  things  out  all  back-  "  OP 
wards.  Mammy 

The  Boss  oncet  said  the  whole  thing  in  a  mouth-  Don't " 
ful: 

"  She  can't  start  nothin',  ain't  got  no  idears 

On  how  to  get  things  goin'.     She  don't  know 

A  single  way  to  do  a  thing  —  but  say, 

She'll  tell  you  fifty  ways  how  to  not  do  it." 

The    girls    around    here    calls    her    "  Mammy 

Don't"  .  .  . 

One  day  I  hands  her  quite  a  piece  o'  work, 
To  give  it  the  once-over.     In  a  hour 
I  come  back,  and  I  says,  "  Well,  how's  it  goin'?  " 
She  gives  a  frown,  and  looks  at  me,  and  says, 
"  I'm     tryin'     hard     to     find     out     somethin' 

wrong."  .  .  . 


Don't  kiss  me!     Not  no  more!  .  .  .  Oh,  can't 

you  see? 

Everything  perfect  now,  the  way  it  is. 
Why  do  I  hafta  fight  and  beg  like  this? 
It's  been  so  sweet  —  oh,  can't  you  leave  things 
be? 

Oh,    now    I    hurt    you!     Dear,    don't   look    so 

sad.  .  .  . 

Ah,  gee,  I  guess  men  ain't  got  ways  to  know 
How  a  girl  feels,  and  when  it's  time  to  go, 

And  how  too  much  of  even  kisses  is  bad. 

But  it's  the  things  you  didn't  just  quite  do, 
And  what's  left  over  for  some  other  day 
That  makes  her  wonder  and  hope  and  cry  and 

pray, 

And  tell  herself,  "Next  time!"  and  dream  of 
you. 

Good  night,  dear  .  .  .  you  must  go  ...  it's  for 

your  sake.  .  .  . 

I'll  dream  about  that  kiss  you  didn't  take.  .  .  . 

2O 


Oh,  God,  that  dwellest  'way  up  there,  Prayer 

I  want  to  pray  a  bran-new  prayer. 

It  ain't  the  kind  I  useta  say 

To  make  me  be  good  every  day; 

It  ain't  the  kind  my  mother  taught, 

It's  somethin'  that  I  shouldn't  ought  — 

It's  selfish  — -  maybe  bad  —  but  oh, 

Listen  —  God  —  I  love  him  so ! 

I  guess  Thou  knows  it  any  way, 
But  this  is  what  I  want  ta  say: 
Make  me  so  wonderful  that  he 
Can't  think  of  nothin'  else  but  me! 
Make  my  lips  red  just  like  wine, 
Gi'  my  hair  a  golden  shine, 
Gi'  my  eyes  a  lovely  light, 
Make  my  body  round  and  white.  .  .  . 

God,  it  can't  be  wicked  of  me 
Beggin'  Thee  to  make  him  love  me, 
Is  it,  God?     I  know  I  never 
21 


Prayer  Felt  this  way  before,  or  ever 

Dreamt  no  man  would  come  along 
Makin'  my  heart  beat  like  a  song  — 
God,  this  love  that  come  to  me 
Is  just  like  when  I  think  of  Thee!  . 

Let  him  love  just  me  alone, 
jp  Make  him  be  my  very  own! 

I  guess  that's  lots  to  ast,  but  oh, 
God, —  dear  God  —  I  love  him  so !  . 

Amen.  .  . 


22 


When  I  was  a  kid,  on  a  fresh  Spring  day  Fair 

I  useta  go  at  sun-up  to  get  the  smell  o'  May;        Exchange 

And   say!     The   waves    o'    perfumes    that   they 

would  always  be ! 

All  the  flowers  in  the  world,  so  it  looked  to  me, 
Was  mixed  with  the  good  oF  fresh-dug  ground  — 
A  kind  of  smell  that  God  his  self  would  like  to 

have  around. 

I  couldn't  find  the  smell  o'  the  Spring  today. 
Somethin'  is  happened  —  took  it  clean  away. 
The  same  kinda  apple-blooms  was  shinin'  on  the 

tree  — 
I  guess  it  ain't  the  Spring  changed  —  it  must  be 

me. 
Take  my  money  —  take  my  house  —  every  single 

thing  — 
Oh,  Mr.  Yesterday !  —  Let  me  smell  the  Spring ! 


Denouement  So  now  I  get  the  dirty  throwdown,  huh? 

What  do  I  mean?     Yeh,  that's  a  good  one,  ain't 

it? 

How  do  you  get  that  way?     You  think  I'm  blind? 
I  seen  you  with  that  girl  the  other  night ! 

Aw,  Frank,  how  could  ya  ever  come  to  do  it? 
I  ain't  changed,  am  I?     Ain't  I  just  as  swell? 
Don't  my  eyes  shine  the  same  way,  just  for  you  ? 
Don't  you  remember  out  to  old  San  Soozy 
We  win  long-distance  prizes,  dancin'  together? 
You  says,  "You  keep  the  prize;  what's  mine  is 

yourn, 

And  vicey  versy."     Yes,  and  don't  you  remember 
When  you  —  when  you  first  kissed  me  in  Jim's 

Ford, 

And  all  them  lovely  things  you  says  to  me, 
And  me  believin'  'em,  because  I  loved  you?  .  .  . 

I  should  of  knew,  I  should  of  knew,  I  should  of ! 
Men  is  the  same,  kiddin'  a  girl  along, 

24 


Makin'  her  love  'em,  till  she  lost  her  brains  Denouement 

And  done  what  never  can't  be  undid  now ! 

But  still.  .  .  . 

That  night  the  stars  was  winkin'  down, 
And  looked  so  bright  and  happy,  just  like  me. 
The  little  waves  was  chucklin'  'round  the  boat, 
You  and  the  wind  took  turns,  kissin'  my  forrid. 
Down  underneath  I  felt  the  engines  pumpin' 
Just  like  your  heart,  pressin'  against  my  cheeks. 

The  lights  was  out,  it  was  so  dark  and  haunted, 
I  felt  so  safe  with  them  big  arms  around  me, 
And  dreamy,  with  the  niggers  singin'  soft, 
Playin'  their  yukalalies.     And  I  says, — 
Don't  you  remember  what  I  says?     I  says, 
"  See  them  two  rows  o'  lights  along  the  shore? 
Them  is  the  city's  teeth,  shinin'  so  white; 
The  city's  laughin',  just  like  you  and  me; 
Laughin'  and  laughin'.     Everybody's  glad."  .  .  . 

The  fool  I  was!     The  stupid,  crazy  fool! 
I  listened  to  your  talk,  give  in  to  you, 
Lovin'  you  heart  and  soul,  never  went  home 
Till   noon,    lied    to    'em    all  —  and   now  —  and 

now — * 

I'm  finished !  —  Thrun  aw'ay !  .  .  .  Them  lights 
was  teeth, 

25 


Denouement  The  teeth  the  city's  got,  to  tear  and  tear  me  — 
Murderin',     tearin'     teeth!     They    got    me    in 
em!  .  .  . 

Go  on  away !     I  never  want  to  see  you ! 
Go  get  that  red-head  fool,  tell  her  I  sent  you ! 
I  hope  she'll  be  another  fool  like  me, — 
I  hope  you  burn  and  burn  in  Hell ! 

I  hope  — 
Oh,  what's  there  anything  to  hope  for,  now?  .  .  . 


26 


"  In  love,"  you  tells  me,  u  I'm  in  love  again.         "  In 
Say,    he's    a    reg'lar    doll !     Some    boy-chum !  Love 

Oh, 
I'm  wild  about  him! — "     And  you  go  on  so 

The  way  you  always  rave  about  your  "  men." 

In  love !     The  nerve !     Why,  on'y  just  last  week 
It  was  a  Jackie;  and  the  week  before 
That  willy-boy  down  to  the  dry-goods  store  — 

You  make  me  sick  so  I  can't  hardly  speak! 

Why,  when  love  hits  you,  everythin's  a  dream, 
It's  like  you  took  some  dope,  and  nothin's  real 
Except  one  face  you  just  can't  help  but  see 

Wakin'  or  sleepin'  .  .  .  All  the  time  you  scheme 
How  you  could  help  him  .  .  .  work  ...  or 

lie  ...  or  steal, 

Die,  even.  .  .  .  And  you  squawk  "  In  love  "  to 
me  I  . 


27 


Cats  "  It's  the  little  things  that  count,"  the  feller  says. 

The  strongest  guy  will  get  some  little  worry, 
And  even  a  cat  can  get  a  man,  and  finish  him. 

Red  Slavin  and  me  was  grade  school  kids  together, 
The  day  us  two  gets  fired  out  from  school 
Fer  beatin'  up  eight  bigger  guys,  us  two, 
"  Bill,"  he  says,  u  I'm  startin'  work  tomorrow 
In  the  contractin'  business.     Wanta  come?  " 

"  I'm  gointa  be  a  grocer,  Red,"  I  tells  him. 

"  Well,   well,   we  hadta   split  some  time,"   says 

Red, 

Rubbin'  his  lip,  "  But  you  just  hear  me,  boy, 
This  splittin's  only  business.     You  and  me 
Is  pals  for  life.     Now  swear."     He  grabs  my 

mitt, 

We  looks  each  other  straight  into  the  eye, 
And  says  good-night.  .  .  . 

And  so  the  years  run  on.     I  got  this  store 
And  had  a  medium  luck.     Two  times  I  thought 
That  I  was  busted  flat;  but  good  old  Red 

28 


He  plunKs  up  with  some  cash,  and  saves  my  neck,  Cats 
And  all  he  wants  is  thanks.     I'm  all  fixed  now, 
I  learnt  my  lesson.  .  .  .  Red  was  another  story. 
He  got  to  be  a  knock-out  in  his  line, 
Savin'  the  dollars,  then  he  makes  a  deal, 
Borrows,  and  makes  another  and  another  — 

Keen,  that's  him.     He  always  guesses  right, 
Yet   it's    not    guessin',    neither.     Makes    invest 
ments, 

Keeps  dozens  o'  plans  a-sailin'  at  a  time, 
And  all  the  while  so  calm,  just  like  a  juggler.  .  .  . 

And  say,  the  swell  old  nights  we  useta  have ! 
The  same  old  Red,  pore  or  rich,  he  was. 
Up  to  his  place,  we  sit  around  a  table 
Shootin'  a  friendly  game,  or  pitch,  or  rummy, 
A  coupla  bottles  o'  beer,  no  airs  for  his'n. 
And  fishin'  trips,  out  to  Okachee  Lake, 
Snaggin'  the  bass,  and  talkin'  up  old  times.   .   .  . 

One  day  Red  come  and  busts  in  on  me,  roaring 
"  Bill !     It's  my  birthday.     Come  along,  you  buz 
zard, 

I  wanta  knock  your  eye  out!     Wait'll  you  see!  " 
He  drags  me  out  and  pops  me  in  his  car, 
Won't  tell  me  nothin',  only  answers,  "Wait!" 
Up  to  the  districk  where  the  swells  hang  out 

29 


Cats  He  stops  in  front  a  house  like  a  hotel, 

So  big  and  ornamented.     Red  jumps  out 

And   stands   there.     Not  a  word,   he  can't  say 

no  thin', 

Swallows  a  oncet  or  twicet,  and  looks  at  me. 
Finely,  "  Bill,"  he  says,  "  how  does  it  hit  you?  " 
"  Whew!  "  I  says,  "yourn?"  ...  He  nods  his 

head  and  blinks. 

"  Bill,  this  is  what  I  hoped  and  dreamed  and 

dreamed  of. 

Remember  the  times  I  used  to  gas  about  it? 
*  Some  time,'  I  says,  '  I  make  my  pile.     And  then 
Red  Slavin,  the  kid  that's  fired  from  school,  '11 

show  'em.' 

I  ain't  no  swell,  and  I  don't  want  to  be  none. 
Only  I  want  a  place  I  can  be  proud  of, 
With  rooms  where  I  can  bring  old  pal  Bill  to, 
Rooms  that's  as  big  and  shinin'  as  his  heart  is. 
And  now  I  got  it.     Two  hundred  thousand  plunks 
It  set  me  back." 

"What?     All  o' that?  "lasts. 
"  Most  all  I  got.     But  don't  you  worry,  Bill, 
Keepin'  it  goin'  '11  keep  me  humpin',  see? 
The  wife  thinks  I  gone  nuts.     But  listen  here, 
I  got  to  have  somep'n  to  keep  up  my  ambish, 
Somep'n  to  work  for,  see?     Gosh,  but  I  love 
it."  .  .  . 

30 


I  didn't  see,  but  still  I  couldn't  tell  him.  Cats 

But  just  the  same  I  didn't  like  it,  no  sir. 
I  had  a  —  you  know  —  feelin',  lookin'  at  it, 
That  things  was  goin'  to  happen,  and  happen  bad. 

Well,  sir,  I  goes  away  about  six  months, 
And  soon's  I  come  back  I  calls  up  old  Red. 
The  second  I  seen  him,  say,  I  had  a  start. 
Thinner  he  was,  and  lookin'  awful  peaked. 
"  Why,  Red,"  I  says,  "  for  gosh  sake,  what's  the 
matter?" 

He  looks  at  me,  and  looks  down  at  the  floor, 
And  spits  out  one  word,  "  Cats!  " 

"  Cats?"  I  comes  back.  .  .  .  "  Yeh,  you  heard 

me,  Cats! 

Cats  in  the  alley,  cats  in  the  bloody  yard, 
Yellin'  and  hollerin',  screechin'  all  night  through. 
My  God,  I'm  goin'  crazy,  ravin'  crazy. 
When  the  warm  weather  come,  the  cats  starts  in, 
Last  month,  in  May.     I  can't  get  sleep  at  night, 
My  nerves  is  gone.     I  can't  do  business,  neither. 
I  made  a  big  mistake  last  week  on  a  contract, 
All  from  the  lack  o'  sleep,  lost  twenty  thousand." 

"  Can't  you  get  rid  o'  the  cats?  "  I  ast  him  then. 
"  I  tried  and  tried.  It  can't  be  done,"  he  says. 
"  Then  sell  the  house."  .  .  . 

31 


Cats  He  blinks  at  me  a  second, 

"  Bill,  I  can't  sell  it,  no,  nor  rent  it,  neither. 
Them  cats  got  to  me  so,  I  been  a  fool. 
I  went  and  talked  about  it  to  most  everybody, 
Till  now  they  all  know  all  about  the  cats. 
What'll  I  do?     For  God's  sake,  what'll  I  do?  " 

The  phone  rings.  They  wants  Red.  "  I  got  to 
go," 

He  tells  me.     "  A  big  deal  I  most  forgot. 

I'm  losin'  my  grip,  I  tell  you.     Why,  I  bet 

I'm  in  to  lose  five  or  six  thousand  more. 

And  if  I  do  —  I  hate  to  tell  you  what. 

Cats!  Cats!  .  .  ."  he  dashes  to  his  car  out 
side.  .  .  . 

Next  afternoon  I'm  at  my  desk,  a-puzzlin' 
How  I  can  fix  them  cats,  and  help  old  Red. 
The  phone  bell  starts  to  jingle.     It's  Red's  wife. 
"  I  got  Red  in  the  country,  come  out  quick. 
He  made  a  bad  deal  yesterday.     He's  sick, 
Ain't  slept  a  wink  last  night."  .  .  . 

And  when  I  get  there 
I  see  Red,  leanin'  up  again  a  tree, 
Settin',  and  lookin'  like  a  done-up  drunk. 
His  wife  is  cryin'.     "  Take  him  for  a  walk," 
She  wispers,  u  Bill,  you  try  to  calm  him  down. 
He    had    to    leave    the    house  —  Bill  —  do    you 
think 

32 


He's  goin'  crazy?     He  won't  go  away  Cats 

To  travel,  says  he's  goin  to  stick  it  out, 
Fightin'  them  cats." 

I  grabs  Red  by  the  shoulders, 
Gives  him  a  shake,  yanks  him  to  his  feet. 
He  don't  say  nothin',  only  sorter  staggers. 
"  What  is  it,  Red?     Come  on,  old  feller,  shoot  I  " 
Not  a  word  yet.     I  slips  my  arm  around  him, 

And  drags  him,  walkin'. 

/ 

After  a  hundred  yards, 

Maybe,  he  walks  his-self,  but  still  ain't  peeped 
A  word.     And  so  we  goes  along  the  road, 
June  singin'  in  the  fields  and  on  the  trees 
Covered  with  new  leaves;  but  in  my  old  pal's  head 
Nothin'  but  howls  and  caterwauls  and  screeches. 

Most  of  a  mile  we  staggers.     Red  makes  signs 
He  wants  to  rest.     I  stands  there  lookin'  out 
Over  the  prairie  blazin'  full  o'  flowers; 
A  lovely  stillness ;  only  the  birds  keep  whistlin', 
Mixed  with  the  clink  and  clank  o'  workmen's 

picks, 
Fixin'  the  track,  and  a  train  whistle  comin*. 

After  about  a  minute,  sudden-like 

I  hear  Red's  voice,  so  quick  it  makes  me  jump. 

"  I  got  a  plan,  Bill.     Say,  I'll  get  them  cats, 

33 


Cats  I'll  knock  'em  cold.     Now,  first  I  get  some  poison, 

Say,  Rough  on  Rats,  you  see?     And  take  some 

meat 

And  lay  it  all  around.     And  then  to  fix  it 
So  none  of  'em  ain't  gettin'  off,  I  take 
Some  boards  and  fixes  up  a  huntin'  blind 
The  way  we  use  ta  shoot  ducks  on  the  river, 
Billy,  old  boy.     And  there's  a  tall  fence  runs 
Back  o'  my  yard.     A  twenty-two  '11  carry 
A-plenty.     Now  the  fence  is  just  this  far. 
Look."     He  turns  me  around.     "  Now  you  stand 

here." 

I'm  glad  to  humor  him.     I  stands  and  watches. 
'  The  fence  is  here  — "     He  turns  and  paces  off, 
Countin'   the  paces.     "Ninety  —  ninety-one — " 
He  reaches  a  hundred  and  fifty  —  and  starts  to 


runnin', 


I  stands  there  stupid,  not  knowin'  what  to  think. 
And  —  quick  —  I  hears  the  roarin'  of  the  train. 
And  then  I  seen.  .  .  .  "  Reddy  —  for  God's 

sake  — Red!" 

Faster  he  runs.     I  dashes  after  him, 
My  heart  is  chokin'  me,  holdin'  me  back. 

He  jumps  the  fence,  he  scrambles  up  the  bank  — 
Oh,  Christ  —  please  let  me  reach  him !  —  then  I 
stumbles, 


34 


Falls   flat. —  Jump  up  —  the  train  is  almost  on  Cats 

him, 

He's  standin'  in  the  track,  wavin'  his  arms, 
Dancin'  and  yellin',  "  Cats!     Take  'em  away! 
I'll  fool  'em  —  Cats !     Cats !  —  never  no  cats 
No  more!  "... 

"  Reddy !     Reddy !     Jump  —  jump !  " 
I'm  sobbin',  cursin',  cryin' — 

Then  the  train  hits  him.  .  .  . 


35 


Finis  Don't  look  like  that !     You  know  I  druther  die 

Than  hurt  you,  ever,  any.     But  it  wouldn't 
Be  but  a  worst  hurt  after,  and  I  couldn't 
Say  nothin'  else  that  wouldn't  be  a  lie. 

It's  a  queer  sorter  way  that  I  love  you  — 
A  kinder  quiet,  happy  peace  you  bring, 
Like  after  a  rainstorm  hearin'  a  robin  sing  — 

But  it  ain't  the  flamin'  way  you  want  me  to. 

God  knows  I  tried,  and  even  tried  to  kiss  you 
And  find  it  that  way,  but  it  wasn't  real  — 
They    wasn't    that    fire    I    always    hoped    I'd 

feel.  .  .  . 

So  ...  it's  good-bye.  .  .  .  Oh,  God,  I'm  goin' 
to  miss  you, 

The  way  you  smile,  the  little  things  you  say.  .  .  . 
But  Truth  is  Truth.  .  .  .  They  ain't  no  other 
way.  .  .  . 


Well,  boys,  that's  twicet  1  win.     I  leave  it  lay.  Concerning 
"  The  works  or  nothin'  " —  that's  me  every  time.  Pikers 
Four  Jewish  flags  I  blow,  four  lovely  bucks. 
It's  sugar  in  your  mouth!  —  How's  that?     All 

set?  — 
Go  get  'em,  dices! — Wham!  —  Read  'em  and 

weep!  .  .  . 

Oh,  Snake-eyes,  acety-ace  —  you  done  me  wrong ! 
Craps,  and  I  lose  the  works.  .  .   .  All  right,  I'm 

through. 

It  ain't  no  use  to  buck  the  jinx,  but  listen, 
Brother,  I  may  be  right  in  a  few  minutes, 
And  when  I  am  —  look  out  for  your  gol'  teeth. 


My  motter's  "  play  'em  hard  or  else  not  any." 

I  got  no  use  at  all  for  these  here  pikers 

That  drags  down  every  time  they  makes  a  pass. 

A  piker  is  a  guy  that  plays  it  safe, 

And  that's  the  place  I'll  say  they  always  ends, 

Safe  where  they  started  in.     You  tell  'em,  brother. 

37 


Concerning  Don't  get  me  wrong,  though.     All  the  flops  is 

Pikers  full 

O*  suckers  that  takes  a  chanst  on  anythin'. 
You  gotta  use  judgment.     But  a  piker,  now, 
They  got  no  faith  in  nothin',  not  even  theirself. 

Dick  Finch,  he  was  a  goof  like  what  I  mean. 
Well,  this  bird  has  a  job  down  to  a  shoe  store, 
Gets  just  enough  to  keep  his  bones  together, 
And  keeps  the  same  job  seven  straight-on  years 
Without  no  raise.     He  come  to  me  one  day 
And  spills  a  moanin'  howl.     It  was  like  this, 
He  says,  his  old  man  keeps  a  little  store 
Out  to  the  West  Side,  sellin'  fruit  and  such. 
Now  they's  a  mortgage  on  it,  comin'  due, 
And  if  he  can't  raise  six  hunderd  cold  bucks 
By  three  weeks  from  that  day,  his  Pa  is  ruint. 

I  stands  there  for  a  minute.     Then  I  says, 

"  How  much  dough  do  you  think  that  you  can 

raise 
Right  now?  "     He  fishes  in  his  pockets  then, 

hauls  me  out  a  roll  o'  dirty  bills. 


"  Thirty-three  dollars.     All  I  saved  this  year. 

"  Now,  listen,  Bud,  just  how  much  do  you  care 
About  your  Pa?     Enough  to  take  a  chanst 
On  losin'  all  o'  this  to  save  his  neck?  " 

38 


He  gulps,  and  nods  his  head.     "  You  bet  I  do."  Concerning 

Pikers 
;'  Well,  then,  I'm  gonna  give  you  somep'n  straight. 

This  dough  is  all  you  got.     You  got  no  ways 
O'  gettin'  hold  o'  no  six  hunderd  dollars, 
Not  with  no  job  like  yourn.     They's  just  one  way : 
You  go  down  to  the  track  this  afternoon. 

"  Now   in    the    third   race,    they's    a   dog   name 

Lucas. 

Two  birds  I  know  has  got  that  mule  in  pickle, 
And  somep'n  tells  me  that  today's  the  day 
They  set  to  make  a  killin'.     Nobody  knows 
Exceptin'  me  and  them  about  him,  see? 
I  got  a-plenty  right  now  on  his  nose. 
You  go  down  there,  and  find  the  nearest  bookie, 
And  put  the  whole  roll  on  this  skate  —  to  win !  " 

He   sorter   trembles     "  What,    the   whole    darn 
roll?" 

"  That's  what  I  said,  you  hearn  me,"  answers  me. 
"  If  I  ain't  right,  you  lose.     But  even  then 
Your  Pa  ain't  no  worse  off  than  he  is  now. 
And  it's  a  good  tip  what  I'm  givin'  you. 
The  odds  you  get'll  be  twenty  to  one, 
And  if  that  plater  romps  in  to  the  merry, 
You  draw  down  what  you  need,  six  hunderd  frog 
skins, 

39 


P  .       And  sixty  more  besides.  .  .  .  Now  I  ain't  sayin* 

p..  °  That  this  is  no  sure  thing.     But  it's  a  chanst, 

And  a  durn  good  one.     So  hop  to  it,  fella, 
And   just   this    one    time    say,    '  The   works    or 
nothin'.'  " 

Honest,  you  should  of  saw  what  this  bird  done. 
I  thought  the  pore  durn  simp  was  goin'  to  kiss 

me. 
I  give  him  a  shove,  and  off  he  puts  a-runnin'. 

That  night  I  seen  this  Finch  down  to  the  pool 
room. 

I  walks  right  up  and  clouts  him  on  the  back. 
"  Well,  sport,  we  sorter  knocked  'em  for  a  gool, 
I'll  tell  the  world  we  did  —  why,  what's  the  mat 
ter?" 

I  looks  again.     This  Finch  starts  in  to  blubber, 
"  Oh,  God!  —  Oh,  God!  — "  and  he  can't  get  no 
further. 

I  grabs  his  shoulders,  gives  him  one  good  shake. 
"  Say,  what  the  what?  "  I  says.     "  This  '  Lucas  ' 

win. 

He  walks  in  backwards,  like  I  told  you,  don't  he? 
What' re  you  yellin'  about?     Your  Pa  is  saved, 
You  got  a  nest-egg  over,  too  —  but  wait  — 
You  went  there,  didn't  you?" 


40 


"  Yeh,  I  went,"  he  blubbers.  Concerning 
"  I  seen  the  prices  — *  Lucas,  twenty  to  one.'         Pikers 
I  has  my  money  in  my  hand,  and  walks  up 
And  gets  right  to  the  bookie  —  then  a  somep'n 
It  seems  to  scare  me.     I  gets  thinkin'  how 
Everythin'  that  I  got  is  in  my  hand. 
And  sorter  sudden-like  my  knees  starts  tremblm', 
And  then  —  I  guess  I  must  of  gotten  crazy 
Just  for  a  minute,  and — " 

"  Go  on,  go  on!  " 
I  hollers,  feelin'  sick. 

"Oh,  God  — I  done 
Like  what  I  allus  do  —  I  took  and  bought 
A  two-buck  ticket  for  this  horse  to  show, 
Just  as  the  bettin'  closed."   .  .  . 

Well,  can  you  beat  it? 
I  guess  a  piker  oncet,  a  piker  forever. 
It's  in  the  blood,  you  see !  .  .  . 

Gimme  them  bones ! 


Carpe  Why're  you  always  pullin'  sob-stuff? 

Diem  Honey,  what's  the  big  idear? 

l<  Will  I  never  love  no  others?  — 

How  many  girls  do  I  get  a  year?  " 
What's  the  good  o'  borryin'  trouble? 

Damn  tomorrow!     What's  it  worth? 
Just  this  lovin'  night  can  give  us 
Everythin'  there  is  on  earth. 

Say,  you  know  old  Apple  Annie, 

Blurry-eyes,  and  nose  all  blue  ? 
Oncet  she  was  a  knock-out  looker, 

Oncet  she  was  as  sweet  as  you. 
While  she's  creepin'  'round  the  alleys 

Why  d'ye  think  she  smiles  all  day? 
'Cause  her  old  bean's  all  chuck  full  with 

Things  no  years  can't  take  away. 

Kiss  me  like  you  want  to  kiss  me, 
Lock  your  arms  around  me  tight ! 

Don't  be  fightin'  what  you're  feelin' — 
Nothin'  matters  but  tonight ! 

42 


When  you're  dry,  and  white,  and  pinched-up       Carpe 
You'll  remember  times  like  this-  Diem 

You'll  be  glad  and  glad,  I  tell  you, 
For  the  joys  you  didn't  miss. 


43 


Moonlight  Say  —  listen  — 

If  you  could  only  take  a  bath  in  moonlight ! 

Hey!     Can't  you  just  see  yourself 

Take  a  runnin'  dive 

Inta  a  pool  o'  glowin'  blue, 

Feel  it  glidin  'over  you 

All  aroun'  and  inta  you  — 

Grab  a  star  —  huh  ?  — 
Use  it  for  soap;; 
Beat  it  up  to  bubbles 
And  white  sparklin'  foam  — 
Roll  and  swash  — 

Gee! 

I  just  like  to  bet 

You  could  wash  your  soul  clean 

In  moonlight! 


44 


Come   on,   boys,    what's   your   order?     This'n's  Dry! 

mine. 
Bourbon    or    Scotch    or    wine?     It's    Jimmy's 

round  — 
The  last  you'll  ever  get  in  Jimmy's  place. 

You're  all  my  boys,  ever'  last  one  o'  you 
That's   come   to   see  ol1   Jimmy  get  his  knock 
out — 

Twenty-two    years,     and    this    is    the    end    o' 
Jimmy.  .  .  . 

Why,  sure,  I'm  busted.     I  ain't  no  boot-legger, 
You  know  my  motter,  "  Jimmy's  allus  square," 
The  licker's  out.     The  rest'rant  closes  too. 
I  won't  charge  wild,  or  run  the  prices  down. 
I'm  through,  boys;  that's  the  answer. 

Say,  this  place 

It  was  my  sweetheart.     Say,  the  only  thing 
I     ever     loved.     Them     mirrors  —  and     them 
glasses  — 

45 


Dry !  Them  bottles,  now  —  I  felt  like  they  was  me  kids. 

I  allus  made  my  meals  the  same  as  if 
They  was  some  po'try  —  say,  how  many  times 
You  hear  'em  tell  they  was  the  best  in  town? 
And  now  them  pussy-whiskers  comes  along, 
Closes  me  up,  says  I'm  a  "  evil  infloonce." 


A  evil  infloonce  —  me !     Why,  you  boys'  fathers 
I  know  'em  since  they  come  here  years  ago, 
Steppin'  young  fellers,  breakin'  the  girls'  hearts, 
Courtin',  and  marryin',  and  settlin'  down, 
Makin'  their  fortunes, —  why,  I  seen  it  all. 
Years  after  years  o'  life.     And  all  at  Jimmy's 
Makin'  the  friends  they  stuck  to,  celebratin' 
The  happy  things,  tryin'  to  forget  the  sad  ones. 


They's  lots  o'  things  they  learned  right  here  at 

Jimmy's 
They  couldn't  of  learned  outside.     Like,  how  to 

drink 

And  hold  it  like  a  gentleman.     And  how 
To  make  a  friend  and  keep  him.     How  to  mix 
With  other  men,  and  how  to  entertain  'em, 
And  when  to  keep  your  mouth  shut  .  .  .  and 

there's  more. 
But    that's    all    finished    now.     Them   whiskers 

wins.  .  .  . 

46 


You'll  miss  me,  boys,  and  say,  will  I  miss  you  —  Dry ! 
Them  shiny  pumps,  them  lovely  hard-boiled  shirts 
After  the  dances.  .  .  . 

Well,  I  said  my  say. 
So  come  on,  grab  your  glasses.  .  .  .  Bottoms  up ! 


47 


Pets  You  take  a  dog,  oncet  you  get  it  to  love  you, 

You  lose  your  home,  your  dough,  your  grub  and 

all, 

The  old  dog  sticks.  ...  A  cat's  a  different  crit 
ter, 

More  like  a  slot-machine :  put  in  a  meal 
You  get  a  purr  right  back;  no  meal,  no  purr  — 
Claws,  prob'ly;  then,  "  So  long."  .  .  . 

I'll  take  a  cur. 


Push  the  screen  back  just  a  little  more  "  Died  of 

So's  I  can  hear  'em  playin'  "  To  the  Color."  Influenza  " 

Wisht  I  could  see  the  boys,  clickin'  their  heels 

smart, 
All  glad  and  clean,  neat  fer  Retreat,  after  the 

day's  sweat. 

Here's  me  in  bed  —  God,  what  a  joke, — 
Me  that  wanted  to  fight,  knowin'  I  gotta  croak, — 
Don't  kid  me,  Doc,  the  head's  burnin'  up  — 
I  know,  Doc  —  I  know. 

I  left  my  job,  six  bucks  a  day, 

Expert  lathe  hand,  that  was  me. 

Told  'em  I  hated  the  Dutch,  wanted  to  carry  a 

gun, 

Drilled,  drilled,  drilled, 
Gets  hard  as  nails  —  then  a  order  come  — 

"  Expert  lathe  hand,  Richard  H.  Jones 
Transferred  at  oncet."     So  I  come  here 

49 


"  Died  of     Down  to  the  Audience  corps  — •  me  that  wanted 
Influenza"  to  fight  — 

They  takes  my  gun,  gives  me  a  shovel. 

Audience  corps,  right  —  all  my  buddies  gone 
Scrappin'  over  seas,  me  left  to  watch, 
Watch  —  and  dig  latrines. 

"  Jones,  lathe  hand,  what  the  bloomin'  Hell," 
So  the  C.  O.  says,  "  No  place  for  you 
Just  yet  awile.     Here's  a  shovel,  Jones, 
You  do  your  bit —  dig,  Jones,  dig!  — " 

That's  the  way  it  is,  me  that  wanted  to  fight 
Stuck  in  a  hole  here, 
Diggin' —  God !  —  latrines ! 

Good  oF  army,  huh? 

Still,  I  suppose 

Somebody  knows 

What's  the  big  idear,  and  I  guess  a  guy 

Can  fight  for  what  he  loves, 

And  do  his  damned  bit, 

Yeh,  and  die  for  it  — 

Even  with  a  shovel. 

50 


There  was  me,  walkin'  peaceful  down  the  alley,  Riot 
Smokin'  a  pipe.     The  sun  was  blazin'  down, 
It  was  all  quiet,  like  any  reg'lar  noon-day. 
I  squats  down  on  a  bar'l,  lights  a  match, 
And,  "  Bang-bang-bang!  "  I  hears,  and  drops  the 
pipe. 

A  guy  runs  at  me,  hollers,  u  You!     Where  is  he? 
You  seen  him!  "     I  just  sets  there.     "  Keep  your 

shirt  on," 
I  says.     "Where's  who?" 

"  The  Nigger !     Where's  he  at?  " 
They  gangs  around  me.     I  just  sets  there  dumb. 
More  on  'em  runs  up,  yelpin'  "  Get  the  coon." 
They  jams  aroun'  the  cellar;  they's  a  yell, 
They    dashes    down    the    steps.  ...  A    dozen 

shots.  ,  .  . 

The  white  guy  next  me  pitches  up  his  mitts 
And  flops  down.  .  .  .  Then.  .  .  . 


Riot  Listen,  I  wanta  ast  you, 

You  been  down  to  the  zoo,  feedin'  time? 
You  seen  the  keeper  thrun  a  hunk  o'  steak, 
You  hearn  the  awful  snarl  the  tigers  gi'n? 
.  .  .  That  mob.  .  .  . 

They  drags  this  moanin'  nigger  out, 
They  kicks  his  face  in  right  before  my  eyes, 
They  plugs  him  full  o'  bullets, 
What's  left  ain't  even  quiverin'  no  more. 
I  seen  it,  me.     The  wagon  comes  a-clangin', 
Nobody  left  but  me  to  tell  about  it, 
Me  and  the  half-killed  bum.  .  .  . 

And  now  you  come, 

Tryin'  to  make  me  swear  before  a  judge 
This  pore  old  alley-cat  was  goin'  gunnin', 
And  murderin'  white  guys,  .  .  . 


I  s'pose  I  was  a  dumb-bell.     That's  what  Mame 

said, 

Least  wise  she  didn't  sa%  it  in  them  words, 
But  "  dumb-bell  " —  that  was  what  she  meant,  all 

right, 
And  all  because  I  couldn't  understand  her. 

But  what  can  you  do  with  a  girl  that  wants  to 

set 

Out  on  a  rock  and  watch  the  waves  come  up, 
Right  in  plain  daylight?     And  you're  talkin'  to 

her,  ,' 

And  all  at  oncet  she  says,  "  Can't  you  keep  quiet? 
Can't  you  see  the  waves  is  whisperin'  secrets  at 

me?"  .  .  . 
—  If  she  wouldn't  of  been  so  wonderful  to  look 

at, 
And  so  darn  sweet  .the  few  times  that  she  was 

sweet, 

I  wouldn't  never  fooled  with  her  at  all. 
But  that's  the   funny  thing.     The  more  I   seen 

her, 

53 


And  the  more  she  went  off  into  —  you  know  — 

fits 
Like   she  was  miles  away,   the  more  I  wanted 

her.  .  .  . 

Here's  one  trick  I  put  up  with  from  this  Mame. 
One  time  at  ten  P.  M.  she  comes  to  the  house, 
Says,  "Get  your  heavy  coat,  we're  goin'  ridinV 
"  Ridin',\I  says.  "  Say,  Mame,  what's  eatin'  you? 
A  blizzarcfs  outside,  and  the  worst  this  year." 
"  Shut  up.     Come  on,"  she  says,  and  drags  me 

out. 

We  rides  two  hou^s  in  a  open  hansom, — 
I  guess  it  was  one  tn^t  Noah  had  in  the  ark- — 
The  snow  just  stinginNand  beatin'  on  our  face, 
And  all  because  Mame  nev^r  done  it  before, 
And  seen  the  cab,  and  wantedjto.     She  said 
It    was     a     real     adventure.  .  >vj     got     chil 
blains.  .  .  . 

What  can  you  do  when  you  take  a  girl  to  dinner, 
And  she  goes  and  orders  —  heck  —  of  all  things 

—  snails ! 

And  when  I  ast  her  to  a  real  good  show, 
She  makes  me  change  it  to  some  darn  grand  oprer, 
And  won't  set  downstairs,  but  she  has  to  stay 
Up  in  the  Peanut  Gallery,  with  the  Dagoes. 

I  sure  did  stand  a  lot !  .  .  .  She  was  bad  enough 
In"  the  city;  but  when  she  got  out  to  the  country 

54 


She  sure  complete  went  wild.     If  she  seen  a  field 
Where  they  was  grass  and  flowers,  she  takes  a 

run 

And  jumps  and  rolls  aroun'  ;  and  not  just  her, 
She  makes  me  do  it,  too:  A>!  was  §£  shamed, 
It  wasn't  right,  us  bein'  so  old,  you  might  say.  .  .  . 

And  one  time  towards  evenirr1  we"  was  walkm', 
Ano\come  to  a  little  crick.     The  fish  was  jumping 
And  f\ght  away  she  says,  "  I  want  to  fish  !  " 
We  couldn't  fish,  I  argues,  there  wasn't  no  poles, 
Nor   hodks,    nor   lines   nor   nothin'.     She    says, 


I  got  a  pin.\  You  bend  it  on  3  'rock, 
I'll  get  a  line^Xall  right.     G^/on  and  bend  it." 
Whiles  I  was  turned  aroun',  I  hears  a  rip, 
She  hands  me  a  16ng  pie'ce  of  her  underskirt, 
Honest,  it  made  rrt^  blush.     She  breaks  a  stick 

off, 

And  catches  a  grasshop^r,  and  she  fishes. 
And  what  do  you  think  ?\  She  catched  a  fish,  at 

that, 

A  thing  about  two  inches  longK    And  say, 
I  thought  it  was  a  whale,  the  fuss^he  made. 

She  was  so  happy,  I  didn't  know  wharto  think, 
And  afterwards  we  laid  down  on  a  haystack, 
And  she  was  watchin'  the  stars,  and  sorteKjium- 
min', 

'55 


\ 
Mame  So  sweet  I  got  a  notion  it  was  me 

That  she  was  singin'  about,  and  I  tried  to  kiss 

her. 
That  sure  was  one --bti'm  guess.     She   turns   all 

white, 

And  says,  "  All  right,  you  had  to  ruin  it. 
I  might  of  knew."     And  thenjwe  went  back  home, 
Her  starin'  straight  ahead,  an"l  sayin'  nothin'.  .  .  . 

And  then,  the  next  day,  she  was  fine  again. 

I  couldn't  tell  what  she  was  ever  thinkin'. 
Things  went  on  that  way,  me  bein'  her  dog, 
You  might  say,  tryin'  to  bust  away,  and  yet 
'J^All  the  time  comin'  back.     So  then,  one  day, 
I  swore  I'd  have  a  showdown.     I  was  through 
With  all  this  foolin'.     Either  I  was  right 
Or  either  wrong,  and  I  was  goin'  to  find  out. 

I  ast  her  to  eat  lunch  with  me  at  Schlogel's. 
I  gets  there  first,  all  set  up  and  excited, 
And  in  a  minute  here  she  comes,  all  fixed  up, 
Prettier'n  a  little  red  wagon.     We  sets  down, 
And  "  That's  a  nice  new  suit.     How  good  you 

look," 

Says  Mame,  and  so  I'm  feelin'  fine,  right  off, 
And  she  is  wonderful,  laughin'  and  talkin', 
So's  I  can't  hardly  wait  to  say  my  spiel. 

56 


I  orders,  and  the  waiter  beats  it.     Then 

I  clears  my  throat,  and  looks  at  her,  and 

"  Mame,  I  got  somethin'  that  I  want  to  ast  you  — 

Mame  —  "  And  I  starts  to  lean  'way  over  to  her, 

And  finds  my  .pants  is  ruined. 

What  do  you  think? 

Some  boob  has  stuck  a  great  big  wad  of  gum 

Right  to  the  chair,  and  I  was  settin'  in  it! 

You  know,  I  got  so  mad  I  couldn't  think^ 

I  clean  forgets  all  I  was  tryin'  to  say, 

And  hollers   "Damn  it!**'*.  .  .  There  was  my 

new  suit 
All    ruined    with    that   gum.     Mame    busts    out 

laughin', 
And  when  she  laughs  I'm  gettin'  all  the 


v 
Then  she  gets  sore,  to6.      c  What's  a  little  thing 

Like  that,"  she  says.     "  You  ack  just  like  a  kid!  " 
-Maybe  I  did,  but  who's  the  guy  that  wouldn't? 
I  calls  the  manager,  and  bawls  him  out 

Like  any  guy  would  do. 

J^—<  ^ 

And  suddenly  - 

Mame^she  gets  right  up,  and  she  sorter  smiles 
And  saVs>x"  Good-bye.     And  this  is  real  good- 

bye.\ 

Charley,  you'll  never  learn  to  really  live 
Unless  you  get  so  little  hurts  don't  matter. 

57 


Life  is  too  big  to  let  a  thing  like  gum 

Mean  such  a  lot  to  you."  .  .  .  And  out  she  sails. 

I  calls  her  up  next  day.     She  tells  me  no, 

She  found  that  her  and  me  can't  hit  it  off. 

"  Here's  the  whole  truth:     You^drag  me_down," 

she  says. 

"  You  don't  know  how  to  dream,  and  never  won't. 
That's  all.     Good-bye/' 


I  can't  just  understand  about  the  Fall.  October 

Why,  everythin's  so  wild  and  bright  and  gay! 

It's  like  the  world  was  at  a  Fancy  Ball, 
And  nothin'  mattered  excep'  just  to  play. 

The  birds  is  singin'  crazy  bran-new  tunes; 

The  bushes  got  red  ribbons  for  their  hair; 
The   trees  looks  like  they  bought  theirself  bal 
loons, 

Scarlet  and  yellow  wavin'  in  the  air. 

They  know  they  got  old  Winter  fooled,  I  s'pose. 
And  though  he'll  come  some  day,  and  tear  and 

roar, 
Bust  up  their  party,  ruin  their  pretty  clo'es, 

It'll  be  all  right  when  Spring  comes  back  once 
more. 

And  still,  it  makes  me  all  choke  up,  to  know 
All  lovely  things  that's  now,  has  got  to  go. 


Snoozer        Of  all  the  joke  curs  that  I  ever  seen, 

This  Snoozer  sure  did  get  the  old  brown  derby. 

Aunt  Effie  allus  said  he  was  a  poodle  — 

To  me  he  looked  like  a  white  muff  on  wheels. 

Pa  useta  say  nobody  couldn't  love 

A  thing  like  that,  exceptin'  somep'n  mean, 

Which  he  was  meanin'  to  say  the  one  that  owned 

him, 
Aunt  Effie. 

They  was  a  pair,  I'll  tell  the  world. 
Aunt  Effie,  she  was  sure  one  born  old  maid. 
The  face  the  good  Lord  gi'n  her  was  the  kind 
You  make  after  a  dose  o'  Castor  Oil; 
Far  from  improvin'  Nature,  she  lets  things  slide; 
Her  voice  cut  like  a  knife  on  everybody 
Except  that  awful  cur,  this  Snoozer  dog. 

We  all  was  sure  she  had  a  mint  o'  money  — 
Some  said  her  step-ma  left  her  thirty  thousand. 
You  couldn't  tell.     Her  room  cost  two  bucks  a 
week, 

60 


She  cooked  her  meals  over  a  gas-jet.     But  Snoozer 

One  thing  was  sure:     Snoozer  was  always  fixed 
With  silky  ribbons,  blankets,  even  shoes 
Made  out  o'  wool,  for  them  ridic'lous  paws. 
Aunt  Effie  loved  that  dog;  the  world  outside 
She  hated;  and  it  paid  her  back  with  interest.  .  .  . 

One  day  Pa  runs  in,  hollers,  "  Effie's  dyin'. 
I'm  goin'  over."     I  follers,  just  to  see 
What    happens.     I    hung    back    down    on    the 
landin'. 

No  sooner  Pa  goes  up,  when  Uncle  Jim, 
Aunt  Mame  and  Cousin  Henry  rushes  by  me.  .  .  . 
Sudden,  I  hears  a  yelp,  a  door  bangs  open,— 
Wild  cursin', —  the  whole  crew  runnin'  out,  and 

then 
More  howls  and  yips  upstairs.     Then  this  here 

Snoozer 
Limpin'    and    draggin'    his    foot.     Aunt    Effie's 

voice 

Like  she  was  lost  in  the  dark,  cryin'  and  cryin', 
"Snoozer!     Comeback!  —  Snoozer!"  .  .  . 

I  squats  down  quick, 
And  pats  the  floor.     "  Hyuh,  Snoozer!     Nice  oP 

doggie," 

I  says  like  sugar.     Snoozer  looks  around 
Like  he  can't  trust  his  ears,  hearin'  a  voice 

61 


Snoozer        That  ain't  Aunt  Effie's,  talkin'  to  him  nice. 

I  crope  up  on  him,  while  he  stands  there  shiverin', 
And  grabs  him  gentle.  Then  I  takes  him  quick 
Up  to  the  room,  and  plumps  him  on  the  bed. 

Aunt  Effie  give  a  moan,  like  to  a  baby, 
And  hugs  and  kisses  that  there  pitiful  cur, 
Me  standin'  first  on  one  foot  then  the  other. 

I  hears  her  voice  then,  feeble  and  soft  and  strange, 
I  wouldn't  of  knowed  it.  "  Bub,"  she  says,  "  I'm 

goin'. 

Tomorrow  I'll  be  dead.     But  praise  to  God, 
Before  I  died  I  seen  two  things  was  wonderful. 
One  was  what  happened  when  your  Pa  came  in, 
With  all  them  other  smirkin'  hypocrites, 
Tryin'    to    make    friends,    now    they's    sure    I'm 

dyin'. 

Tonight  they  troops  here,  all  as  smooth  as  silk 
After  my  money.     But  this  Snoozer  here, 
He  knows  what's  true  from  lies.     He  gi'n  one 

look, 

He  snaps  your  Aunt  Mame's  finger,  then  he  grabs 
Your  Pa's  pants  " —  then  she  squeaks  a  feeble 

laugh. 

"  You  should  of  saw  it,  Bub.     Their  real  selfs 
showed 


62 


Like  lightnin'.     Two  on  'em  kicked  pore  little  Snoozer 

Snoozer, 
They  tried  to  kill  him  .  .  .  yeh,  fine  chanst  they 

got 
For  any  o'  my  money.  .  .  . 

"  Now  this  Snoozer, 

He's  all  I  got,  or  ever  had.     He  loves  me, — 
Don't  urn,  ol'  Snoozer?  —  and  I  sure  love  him. 
The  other  wonderful  thing  I  seen  is  this: 
You  bein'  kind  to  Snoozer.     Never  I  hoped 
To  see  no  member  of  my  lovely  fambly 
That  had  a  heart,  was  real  and  genuwine. 
I  never  ast  no  favors  from  nobody  — 
I'm    goin'    to    ast    one    now:     Will    you    take 

Snoozer 
And  keep  him  for  me,  always  treat  him  kind?" 

"  Why,  sure,"  I  says,  "  I  will."     I  felt  a  lump 
Down  in  my  throat,  it  was  so  sad,  and  all. 

"  Thank  God,"  she  says.     "  All  right,  Bub,  I  can 

trust  you. 

Now,  go  away. —  No,  go  on !  —  Leave  me  alone. 
I  want  to  finish  out  the  way  I  lived, 
Nobody  'round.     Go  on." 

I  finds  the  door, 

She   says,    "  Good  bye.  .  .  .  Don't  go  back  on 
your  promise."  .  .  . 

63 


Snoozer        She  died  in  the  night,  I  guess.     Pa  and  the  others 
They  made  a  loud  noise  over  the  funeral, 
With  carriages  and  things.     And  two  days  after 
Old  Lawyer  Green  he  reads  her  will  in  the  parlor. 

"  She  leaves  to  Bub,  here,  that  there  pet  dog, 

Snoozer. 

The  money  —  only  seven  thousand,  it  is, 
Goes    to    the    Smithfield    Home    for    Friendless 

Dogs." 

Oh,  gee,  you  should  of  hearn  the  row  there  was ! 
If  what  Aunt  Effie  wanted  was  a  cussin' 
She  sure  did  get  it.     If  she  ain't  in  Hell 
It    ain't    because    the    whole    pack    didn't    hope 
so.  ... 

For  me,  I  made  a  promise,  and  I  kept  it. 
Three  times  I  had  to  hide  the  dog  from  Pa 
So's  that  he  couldn't  kill  it.     Freddy  Mason 
And  me,  we  built  a  small  house  outa  boxes 
Down  to  his  yard,  and  Snoozer  stayed  all  summer 
In  there,  without  Pa  knowin'.     By  the  winter 
I  had  a  job  the  other  side  o'  town, 
Roomin'  alone,  and  took  this  Snoozer  with  me. 

You  know,  it's  queer,  that  dog  got  reas'nable. 
After  a  month  o'  mournin',  sniffin'  around 
Lookin'  for  old  Aunt  Effie,  he  got  to  like  me. 


You  won't  believe  me,  but  he  changed  complete.  Snoozer 
He  useta  watch  out  for  me,  in  the  evening 
Comin'  from  work.   .  .  .  He  learnt  some  dandy 

tricks, 
And  —  well,   to  make  it  short,   I  come   to  love 

him.  .  .  . 

Five  year  ago  I  got  him.     Even  then 
He  musta  been  fifteen  year  old,  or  more. 
This  last  year  he  was  gettin'  feebler  and  feebler. 
And  then,  two  weeks  ago,  I  come  home  late, 
And  finds  pore  Snoozer  stretched  out  by  the  fire 
place. 

It's  durn  lonely 

Around  the  place  without  him.     There's  a  some- 
thin' 

You  give  a  dog,  nobody,  not  your  friends, 
Nor  wife,  nor  kids,  even,  don't  never  get.  .   .   . 

And  say,  look  what  old  Green  he  sends  to  me 
This  mornin'.     It's  a  note,  Aunt  Effie  wrote  it: 

"  The  person  that  gets  a  dog  to  trust  and  love 

him, 

I  think  he  gets  enough  reward  from  that. 
And  yet,  if  Lawyer  Green  is  satisfied 
You  kept  your  promise,  here's  a  little  present 
From  me  and  Snoozer.     Take  it  with  our  thanks." 

65 


Snoozer        And  underneath,  a  note  from  Lawyer  Green, 
"  Please  call,  next  Saturday,  at  my  address 
To  get  your  check  that's  here,  three  thousand  dol 
lars 
Plus  five  years'  interest,  at  six  per  cent."  .  .  . 


66 


(Easter  Sunday,  April,  1918)  Head 

Lines 
They's  headlines  snarlin'  at  me  from  the  "  Jour- 

nal," 

"  Hun  Drive  Slows." 

Slows!     And  I  prayed  last  night  it  was  stopped! 
A  robin  just  hopped 
On  top  of  a  red-bud  tree, 
Looks  to  me  like  a  rose 

That  a  girl's  holdin'  up  next  to  her  cheek.   .  .  . 
Or  maybe  like  that  liquid  fire  them  Germans 
uses.  .  .  . 

Clink!  —  Clink  !- 

The  sidewalks  is  ringin'  from  the  feet 

Of  folks  goin'  to  church,  all  neat, 

Gettin'  ready  to  split  their  voice 

Singin',  "  Rejoice  !     Rejoice  ! 

He  is  risen!  " 

Like  a  man  outa  prison 

The  vi'lets  is  bustin'  outa  the  ground.  .   .  . 

The  headlines  I'm  starin'  at  jumps  and  lurches: 

67 


Head  "  Mystery  Gun  Slays  Crowds 

Lines  Prayin'  in  Paris  Churches."  .  .  . 

Here  comes  a  young  sojer 

With  a  girl  hangin'  onto  his  arm. 

Right  here  only  a  year  ago  Jim  useta  walk 

And  him  and  me  would  useta  talk 

All  about  the  glories  o'  fightin'  for  your  coun- 

try,  .  .  . 
"  Airman  Falls  in  Gallant  Fight  "— 

That    was    Jim's    headline.  ...  I    was    Jim's 

girl.  .  .  . 
Just  such  a  light 
He  useta  have  in  his  face, 
Just  like  that  he  had  a  sorter  grace 
When  he  walked.  .  .  .  Just  like  that 
His  hair  useta  curl.  .  .  . 

Apple-blossoms  is  ridin'  along  on  the  breeze, 

Flutterin'  down  from  the  trees 

Like  a  sweet-smellin'  snow  — 

Or  like  frost  on  them  graves  in  Picardy.  .  .  . 

Oh,  God! 

Good  God,  almighty  God, 
Are  you  gonna  stand  by 

And  let  all  the  things  that  was  beautiful  die? 

68 


Them  Huns  is  killin'  even  the  Spring,  Head 

Every  little  no-account  lovely  thing,  Lines 

Twistin'  everythin'  inta  pain.  .  .  . 

Oh,  God, 

Won't  Beauty  never  come  no  more  again!   .  .  . 


White  Say,  Ma,  I  want  to  tell  you  about  Pa. 

Collars          We  got  to  have  a  new  deal  in  this  house. 

I  ain't  gonna  stand  no  more  o'  his  fool  talk. 


Don't  bust  in  on  me.     I  know  what  I'm  doin'. 

This  ain't  no  new  idear.     Many  a  time 

I  been  about  to  say  it,  only  now 

I  come  to  where  it's  gettin'  on  my  nerves. 

He's  like  a  phonograft  with  just  one  record, 

And  he  keeps  playin'  it,  over  and  over  and  over. 

Seems  like  the  first  stuff  I  can  ever  remember 

Is  all  that  bunk  about  a  "  edjucation," 

Pa  bein'  fixed  to  go  down  to  the  U, 

And  then  his  Pa  dies,  and  he  goes  to  work 

To  keep  old  Gramma  goin'.     u  Will,"  he  says, 

"  I  never  got  the  thin'  I  wanted  most. 

But  never  mind,  you'll  get  it,  Will,  you'll  get  it. 

My  son  is  goin'  to  be  a  college  man. 

I'm  savin'  all  the  time  a  College  Fund." 

70 


Remember  how  he  always  talked  that  way?  White 

And  then  the  day  I  went  down  to  the  High  School  Collars 
He  give  me  a  swell  new  watch,  and  pats  my  shoul 
der, 
And  says,   "  Good  boy,  Will,  now  you  got  the 

system. 

Plug  at  the  books,  and  plug,  and  keep  a-pluggin; 
They's  stuff  in  books  you  can't  get  nowhere  else, 
Stuff  that'll  give  you  dreams,  and  that's  what 

counts ; 

Men  that  can  dream  is  the  ones  that'  beats  the 
world." 

The  first  time  that  I  got  real  good  and  sore 

Was  when  he  points  me  out  that  Freddy  Keefe, 

And  says  he  hopes  that  I  should  be  like  that. 

Why  should  I  want  to  be  a  sorter  mouse, 

Nice  enough  feller,  but  a-scared  to  fight 

Or  play,  or  nothin'  else  but  fool  with  books? 

I  couldn't  help  if  I  was  born  the  way 

I  was,  and  liked  to  run  around,  and  hated 

Latin,  and  that  damn  Algebra,  and  so  on. 

But  even  then  I  might  of  gotten  through 

If  he  wouldn't  of  give  me  a  lickin'  for  not  passin* 

Into    the    third   year    High.     That    spilled    the 

beans. 

I  only  stuck  that  long  because  I  knowed 
How  much  it  meant  to  him.     But  gettin'  licked  — 
You  said  yourself  you  didn't  blame  me  much 

71 


White  For  beatin'  it  the  way  I  did,  and  bummin' 

Collars          Down    into    Texas.  .  .  .  Talk    about    "  edjuca- 

tion  " ! 

I  seen  more  in  one  year  than  lots  o'  guys 
'LI  ever  see  if  they  lives  to  be  a  hunderd. 

Pa  knows  I  wasn't  never  any  burden. 

I  earned  my  keep  and  more,  didn't  I,  now? 

I  useta  feel  kinder  sorry  now  and  then, 

Special  the  time  I  found  the  old  bank  book, 

And  ast  him  what  would  he  do  with  the  College 

Fund 

He  was  still  keepin',  though  I  was  sixteen  then, 
And  he  says  he  didn't  know,  but  maybe  hoped 
They  was  a  chanst  I'd  change  my  mind  some  day. 

I  guess  he  thought  I  was  a  just  plain  bum. 
It  sorter  socked  him  when  he  ast  Sam  French 
Where  I  was  workin'  and  repairin'  autos, 
And  Sam  tells  him  I  was  the  best  repair  man 
On  the  West  Side. 

And  when  I  comes  and  tells  him 
I  wants  to  borry  the  College  Fund  to  use 
For  capital  to  start  my  own  garage, 
I  swear  I  think  he  cried  when  he  give  it  to  me. 
He  needn't  been  that  way.     I  paid  it  back, 
Yeh,  and  I  give  him  interest,  eight  per  cent. 
It  didn't  take  me  only  two  years  to  do  it. 

72 


Look  what  I  done  for  you  and  him  and  me !  White 

Though  I  ain't  the  one  to  say  it,  do  you  know         Collars 

Where  they's  another  guy  that's  twenty-seven 

And  makes  the  dough  I  make  ?     All  in  six  years 

I  built  a  fine  big  house,  I  got  a  Packard 

To  ride  you  in,  and  business  is  boomin' 

So's  now  I  aim  to  open  up  three  branches. 

And  here  last  night  this  Freddy  Keefe  comes  over, 

And  him  and  Pa  is  gassin'  roun'  the  fire, 

A  fine,  hot-lookin'  bird  this  Freddy  is, 

With  his  suit  shinin',  and  his  scuffed-up  shoes, 

Tellin'  me  how  he  loved  his  work  and  all, 

Him  a  perfesser,  tryin'  to  teach  a  gang 

O'  shell-shocks  how  to  read  and  write  and  such. 

And  when  I  shows  him  all  my  new  silk  shirts 
He  sorter  smiles,  and  says,  "  You're  lucky,  Will. 
I  won't  get  a  new  overcoat  this  winter; 
I  bought  a  season  ticket  to  the  concerts." 
And  then  him  tellin'  Pa  about  some  painter 
That  had  a  exposition  in  the  Institute  — 
All  about  Whoozis,  some  new  Irish  pote, 
And  somethin'  about  the  "  grace  o'  Grecian  sculp- 
cher." 

The  grace  o'  my  cat's  ankle!     Edjucation! 
That's  all  the  good  his  learnin'  done  for  him. 
He  ain't  got  nothin',  and  he  never  won't  have. 

73 


White  I  couldn't  listen  to  that  line  o'  bunk, 

Collars          So  I  just  starts  the  player-piano  goin', 

And  Freddy  says  good-bye  and  goes  away. 

That's  when  Pa  comes  and  has  the  nerve  to  tell 

me 

I  shoulda  listened  to  Freddy.     "  I  just  tell  you," 
He  says.     "  You  needn't  be  so  rude  to  Freddy. 
He's  gettin'  a  repitation  everywhere." 
"  For  what?     For  shiny  clo'es?  "  I  comes  back, 

laughin'. 

Pa's  face  gets  red.     "  No,  for  a  lit'ry  cricket." 
"  Haw  haw,"  I  says.      "  He  sure  chirps  mighty 

feeble." 

That's  when  Pa  makes  the  break  that  gets  my 

goat. 
'  Well,  you  can  laugh,"  he  says,  "  But  just  the 

same 
I'd  give  the  world  if  you  was  only  like  him." 

Just  think  o'  that!     Now,  honest,  can  you  tie  it? 
Me,  that'll  be  a  real  rich  man  some  day, 
Trade  places  with  a  teacher !     With  a  bum 
That  scarcely  gets  a  good  square  meal  a  week ! 
Concerts,  and  pitchers  —  yeh,  and  I  spose  pink 
teas. 

All  right,  if  that's  the  kinda  things  Pa  wants 
He  can  get  out  and  find  it.     I  won't  keep  him, 

74 


And  feed  him  swell,  and  dress  him  swell,  and  give  White 
him  Collars 

A  great  big  room,  and  rides  in  bran-new  Pack- 
ards. 

If  he  wants  what  this  Freddy  Keefe  is  got, 
By  God,  he's  got  to  get  it  somewhere's  elset. 
But  I  ain't  goin'  to  hear  no  more  about  it. 

You  tell  him  this  for  me  —  tell  him  I  mean  it: 
Either  he  shuts  his  trap  and  keeps  it  shut 
About  this  edjucation  stuff,  or  elset 
He  can  get  the  Hell  out  of  here. 

That's  all! 


75 


u  Catfish  "    When  Jake  played  his  cornet,  his  face 
Green  Looked  like  a  catfish  when  you  land  him ; 

We  called  him  "  Catfish  "  Green,  and  laughed, 
And  never  tried  to  understand  him. 

He  sawed  and  hammered  at  his  bench 
Without  a  word  or  smile,  all  day; 

But  when  night  come,  he'd  get  that  horn 
And  be  a  changed  man,  right  away. 

I  see  him  now,  when  he'd  oblige 

With  "  Silver  Threads  Among  — "  you  know 

His  fingers  lovin'  at  the  keys, 

The  long  notes  wailin'  smooth  and  low. 

That  was  great  stuff.     But  when  he  led 
The  concerts  with  the  other  boys 

Down  to  the  square,  in  summer-time, 
Why,  Hell  ain't  never  hearn  such  noise. 

They  squawked  and  blared,  and  lost  the  time 
We  laughed  until  we  almost  died. 

76 


But  "  Catfish  "—  he  would  yell  and  swear  —          "  Catfish  " 
And  oncet  he  broke  down  flat,  and  cried.  Green 

Still,  through  three  years,  two  times  a  week 

He  made  that  awful  band  rehearse, 
And  never  seemed  to  realize 

It  never  got  no  good,  but  worse. 

And  then,  one  day  the  news  flew  round, 

"  On  July  Fourth  our  town  will  be 
Host  to  our  country's  President " — 

Jake    grinned,    and    muttered,    "  Now    you'll 
see!" 

And  every  night  that  June  we  heard 

Them  trombones'  snarls  and  cornets'  ravin's; 

The  cashier  of  the  Farmers'  Bank 

Said  Jake  had  drawed  out  all  his  savin's. 

The  great  day  come.     And  down  the  road 

A  bust  o'  music,  like  a  storm, 
And  here  comes  "  Catfish,"  with  his  band 

Each  in  a  brand-new  uniform! 

Jake  and  the  boys  struts  on  the  stand  — 
Good  Lordy!     What  a  high-tone  manner! 

The  Pres'dent  halts.     The  band  explodes 
Into  the  "  Star  Spangled  Banner." 

77 


"  Catfish  "    Never  no  band  played  like  that  day, 
Green  It  sure  did  make  my  pulses  jump. 

Jake  takes  the  high  note  sweet  and  clear 
And  sinks  down  with  a  little  thump. 

The  music  stops  —  they  lifts  him  up  — 
One  little  sigh,  and  Jake  is  dead. 

That  high-note  climax  of  his  life 
Bust  a  blood-vessel  in  his  head. 

Well,  at  that  time,  to  my  kid  mind 
Thinkin'  o'  Jake,  it  sure  did  seem 

A  foolish  way  to  waste  a  life 
Chasin'  a  silly  sort  o'  dream. 

But  now  I  kinder  guess  I  hope 

The  Lord  will  treat  me  that  way,  too. 

I'll  gladly  go,  like  "  Catfish  "  Green, 
Knowin'  I  made  my  dream  come  true. 


Oh,  yes,  I  spose  a  day  has  got  to  come  L'Envoi 

That  gets  around  to  all  of  us  at  last, 
That  Springtime  won't  mean .  much  excep'  a  sea 
son, 

And  April  nights  won't  make  our  heart  beat 
fast. 

And  we  can  watch  the  long  green  rollers  breaking 
And  be  real  pleased  to  stay  all  safe  on  shore  — 

Nothin'  but  catchin'  colds,  or  wearin'  rubbers, 
Or  things  like  that'll  matter  any  more. 

And  glad  or  sad  times  that  we  useta  feel  so, 
And  hopes  and  thrills  that  we  could  find  in 
looks, 

And  how  a  kiss  could  burn  us  like  a  fire  — 
They'll  be  like  stuff  we  read  about  in  books. 

Let's  don't  be  like  the  others  —  scared  or  sour, 

Forgettin'  that  life  wasn't  always  slow, 
Growlin'  at  fun  and  dancin'  and  happy  laughin', 

Snoopin'     and    spyin'     'round,     and    snarlin', 

"No!" 

79 


L'Envoi        Promise,   chat,   you'll   <be    different!  —  not    like 

them !  — 

Fight  for  the  ways  of  seein'  fresh  and  true ! 
Keep  all  you  can  of  what  the  world  meant  to  you 
When  you  was  young,  arid  life  was  real  .  .  . 
and  new ! 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED   FOR   FAILURE  TO   RETURN 
THIS   BOOK  ON   THE   DATE  DUE.   THE  PENALTY 

WILL  INCREASE  TO  so  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 

DAY    AND    TO     $1.OO    ON    THE    SEVENTH     DAY 
OVERDUE. 


°CT    4  1ipg 


27 


KB    6    I-;./ 


LD  21-20m-5,'39  (9269s) 


.car 


CT  31    1 


JAN  27  1M7 


' 


FEB  6     IS  47 


4E8747 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


ARY 

-1— . 


• 


